Geography
Intent
A high-quality geography education inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that remains with our children for the rest of their lives. Our Geography teaching equips children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world enables them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
Implementation
Geography is included as part of our enquiry-based curriculum so children learn about their world within the context of a wider question. This approach enables powerful, real-world links between other subjects - particularly history, art, science and outdoor learning – and deepens children’s understanding of the physical and human processes happening around them.
EYFS
Children learn that there are different countries in the world and that the environment and living things in other countries can be similar or different to ours. Children also start to describe routes and locations by using words such as ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’.
KS1 and KS2
There are five main Geographical skills that are developed as a child progresses through the school. These are:
Map skills to support locational knowledge – this includes the use of maps, atlases, globes and digital maps to discover and identify different locations around the world.
Map skills for fieldwork – this includes recognising physical and human features on maps; using symbols and keys; planning and following routes; and using grid references.
Using compass directions – this includes learning up to 8 points on a compass to describe the location of features on a map and describe routes between them. Children begin by using these skills at a small scale, i.e. at school and in the surrounding area, before progressing onto applying them throughout the wider world.
Constructing maps – this includes drawing and labelling maps with symbols and keys to show the different physical and human features in an area. Children begin by constructing basic maps with labels, and progress on to highly detailed maps at scale.
Fieldwork – this includes a variety of observational, measuring and recording skills that children use to gather information about there chosen area. Children begin using these at a small scale, i.e. at school and in the surrounding area, before progressing onto applying them further afield.
Impact
The impact of Geography teaching is evident in the way our children are inherently inquisitive and questioning about the world around them.
By the time our children leave our school they will:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Be competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
